Ever since Dr. Oz featured Phytoceramides on his popular daytime TV show, calling them the secret to faking a facelift, there has been some confusion surround exactly what one can expect from these Phytoceramide supplements.  A lot of people take their Phytoceramide Pills hoping for a skincare miracle in just 2 or 3 weeks' time.  Unfortunately, that's not enough of a window to reverse time and the environment's effect on our skin.

Let's break down exactly what happens to your skin that formed the wrinkles in the first place, how Ceramides work, and how long you can expect to see results.

Wrinkles can happen for a lot of reasons: free radicals in the skin that slowly destroy your collagen, the loss of Ceramides, UV damage that destroys elastin, poor diet, and inadequate skin care accelerates the loss of vital components that should keep our skin looking young. We'll be addressing each of these on our blog in the future, but for now let's focus, on Ceramides.

You know how your skin is waterproof? Ceramides are the molecule that plays a key role in that waterproofing.  Not only do Ceramides keep particles from getting through your skin barrier, it also locks moisture in.  This means Ceramides keep your skin hydrated, and hydrated skin resists wrinkles.

Because of aging and environmental pollutants, our ceramides break down. When this happens, our skin loses its protective barrier.  This means our skin loses its ability to retain moisture, leading to fine lines and wrinkles.   

So, how can Phytoceramides help?

Phytoceramides are the plant-derived equivalent of the Ceramides that naturally occur in our skin.  When taken as an oral supplement, the Phytoceramides circulate through the bloodstream, and get incorporated back into the stratum corneum layer of our skin.

But here's an important caveat - your skin is your largest organ.  The average adult has 8-10 pounds of skin, with a surface area of about 22 square feet! Creating a change in something so large will require more than 2 - 3 weeks.  

The Phytoceramides circulate through the bloodstream, and that goes to all areas of the skin on your body.  To accomplish this most effectively, the optimal dosage of Phytoceramides recommended by dermatologists is 350 mg. Remember - the results are not localized to the face because your blood circulates throughout your entire body.  

What kind of effects can you expect?

The first thing you'll probably notice is an overall softening of the skin, both on your face and your body.  The Phytoceramides are working to rebuild that waterproof barrier, and as this happens, your skin retains more and more of its moisture. Many Phytoceramide customers report this within the first 4 weeks' of use.

But I thought Phytoceramides were supposed to help wrinkles!

They do.  But the change comes in stages.  First, your skin has to rebuild that waterproof barrier that locks moisture in.  The longer you take the Phytoceramides, the stronger barrier gets, and the more hydrated your skin becomes.  

When you hydrate and rebuild vital skin components from the inside out, you're essentially rebuilding the scaffolding of your skin.  Ceramides are a major component of the skin's matrix, keeping it firm. This means fine lines and wrinkles start to smooth out. This process takes time.

Research even shows that ceramides derived from wheat inhibit the elastase enzymes that destroy the skin's elastin, which results in loss of flexibility and increased wrinkling! So Ceramides do play a few key roles in keeping your skin looking young, making it one of your best alternatives to going under the knife. 

It's unrealistic to expect all of this to happen in 2 weeks' or even 4 weeks' time, though.  Wrinkles don't fully form in a month, and they won't be reversed in a month, either.

Your best option to match nature's steady supply of Ceramides from the inside is a Sano Naturals Phytoceramides Supplement with 350 mg of Plant-Derived Ceramides, and a clear understanding of how they work in your body so that your expectations are realistic.

Here's a timeline of what you can expect:

3 - 4 Weeks: An overall softening of your skin. You may notice it feels like you've used a moisturizer when you haven't. Your skin will be noticeably softer and smoother to the touch.

4 - 8 weeks: Continued and increased softening and moisturizing of the skin.  Some Sano Naturals customers report experiencing a "glow" in their complexion.  Some Phytoceramides 350 mg Plant Derived Supplement users say their skin starts to feel firmer to the touch. This is a good sign that the skin's barrier is getting stronger.  

8 - 12 weeks: Fine lines and wrinkles start filling out as the skin retains more moisture, and rebuilds its matrix. Continued hydration of the skin on both the body and face.

12 - 24 weeks: By the 6 month mark, you should start seeing improvement in fine lines, and a gradual smoothing out of wrinkles.  Your skin will continue to rebuild its waterproof matrix, sealing in hydration and moisture for a better, clearer, softer, more youthful overall complexion